I was working a job doing property work when all of a sudden the IT guy quit on us. We outsourced to a company in Missouri, but the people were in a frantic state as the IT company was in a different state and we needed hands on right away to make things happen. I have an IT background and without being asked and without asking for a reward I jumped in and for months starting helping. One day the big boss called me into his office. I had no idea what this impromptu meeting was about so I sat down in a brown chair across from his large IMAC computer and waited to hear what this all about. He called me in to tell me that he was adding IT to my job description and going to increase my salary significantly as compensation. I was not looking to get paid for my seed, I was simply looking to help out by sowing a seed of my time and labor into the need of the company and my co-workers. I was sowing a seed into someone else’s ground, I say that because IT wasn’t my role at the company, no one expected me to run to the rescue or have the answers and from appearances helping in this area would be massive responsibility and liability if something went wrong. I had nothing to gain and a lot to lose, but I was looking to help and help is what I did. I did not expect recognition for helping, I was doing good where I was and could have happily stayed in my square, but a need arose and I sowed a seed of my time and talents into someone else’s field. The outcome of that seed was a bountiful harvest for myself. With that, I can say from definitive scripture and expanded upon by personal experience that your harvest lies in another’s field.

Matthew 6:33

New Living Translation
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

While you sow into God’s field, God is creating for you a harvest of your own. Another way to put it is while you are busy with God’s business, God is busy blessing your business. The bible says that “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;”2 Peter 3:9, meaning He isn’t standing around twiddling His thumbs while you are in the world struggling to make a life for yourself and your family, however, what God is though is patient. I can see God saying to Himself, “maybe if I give everyone enough time to realize that the only way to reap a harvest for themselves is to help someone else reap their own personal harvest than maybe, just maybe they will stop self-serving and serve others.” Some say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. You’ve fought to make your own life better for your whole life, and that may have gotten you far or it may not have, but know without a doubt that your next level harvest is tied to your sowing into someone else and helping them establish their harvest.

How do I do that you may ask? Great question, the bible says this…

Matthew 25

31“But when the Son of Mand comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32All the nationse will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,f you were doing it to me!’

41“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.g42For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Jesus is not using a parable to explain Himself, He is talking in plain speech to make a direct and somewhat blunt point and that is when you help your neighbor and those in need He will bless you and take care of you. Jesus isn’t signing them up for missions in a far off country, the people in need in this scripture were people that they encountered in their everyday lives. Simply put, if you want more money, pay your tithes and offerings and then help someone else who needs more money. If you desire to have more happiness, find someone who is having a rougher go at it than you and befriend them and help them to find the joy and peace that only Jesus can provide and do this repeatedly for a long period of time and in the process of helping others less fortunate than yourself get happy, you’ll get happy. In a business environment or church environment, if you want more influence, find someone with a great deal of influence and see where they need help and this is easier than you think because people of influence are normally extremely busy creating lots of opportunities to help them. Watch them and find an area of need and offer your services, be subtle but direct. “Hey sir/ma’am let me pick up your dry cleaning, let me tote your bible for you when you come in, I see your car is dirty, I’ll wash it for you or take it to get washed, hey, I know you’re busy so I don’t mind running those papers down every Thursday for you.” This is how you sow in another’s field at work and never complain about it because that would destroy your seed. When you sow do it joyfully because your harvest lies within someone else’s field. Jesus says in Matthew 17:20 that a mustard seed of faith can move a mountain. This means that everyone on the planet at the bare minimum has a mustard seed, yet just because you have the seed does not mean you own the field. In Matthew 13:44 Jesus says “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. The man had the seed (which was his labor) but didn’t own the field. Jesus says in Mark 4 starting at verse 26 that there was a man scattering seed and that some of the seed fell on good ground, some feel on bad ground, some feel on so so ground. When you dig a little deeper you realize that the reason that all of the ground was not good was because the man owned the seed, but he did not own the ground. If the man had owned the ground he could have worked the land until all of the ground was good, however, the ground belonged to his friends and neighbors and some of them had good ground and the harvest flourished, others not so good ground and that harvest died. The result of this sowing was that he spread his seed everywhere and eventually wound up with a good harvest.

This brings me to my next point which is to not be upset when your seed doesn’t produce a harvest. You have to accept a bad crop just as graciously as you accept a good one. The man could have gotten upset that field after field after field did not produce a harvest and became bitter like the man with the one talent who got ticked off with his master and didn’t invest his master’s money like he should have which ultimately led to his own destruction, but instead the sower grew persistent instead of passive. I can see him saying to himself “well Henry, Sarah’s field didn’t produce a harvest, David’s field didn’t produce a harvest, Maria’s field didn’t produce a harvest, Johnathan’s field didn’t produce a harvest and Maurjon’s field didn’t produce a harvest but it’s ok, because I still have more seed and as long as I have seed I have hope that the heavens are open, the devourer is rebuked and my favor is coming! Malachi 3:11”

Your harvest may be attached to someone else’s field, but your seed is still your own and as long as you have seed, you have hope and as long as you have hope you have joy, so never get discouraged about a field or seed opportunity that did not produce a harvest. As long as you can help your neighbors and friends achieve their dreams than know that God is going to make sure your desires are also fulfilled.